Every now and then I read something that really sickens me (not just the "little" things that get under my skin that I complain about) but things that reflect upon the character of our society.

This is not an article about Bedford Township, but it really is not that far away. The Rose West Branch school system is just east of I-75 not far from Higgins and Houghton Lakes, maybe three and a half hours north of here.

"On Monday night the West Branch-Rose City school board voted not to fire a group of teachers who spoke out against the 15- to 30-year sentence a fellow teacher, Neal Erickson, received after molesting an eighth-grade boy."

I understand why the school board voted as it did. I will never understand the teachers defending a child molester. The article provides additional details and background.

The teachers didn't defend the molester, Jimmy. They vigorously statedthat they did not condone his actions. But the incident happened 7 yearsago! And, although it was an adult in authority taking advantage of aminor, it was also consensual. Bringing the incident to the forefront wasnot even the boy's idea. It was by accident that all this becamepublic.

What is this world COMING to? Maybe empathy...for ALL concerned.And forgiveness.

There's no doubt what happened was wrong. But it seems likerevenge was not on the agenda of the boy. Maybe the rest of the town can learn something about forgiveness from the boy.

Always good to get other accounts of a situation particularily in a highly charged issue like this. However, even as noted in one of your sources, Judge Baumgartner stated after hearing all the evidence and then making his decision on sentencing: